Mining machine



F. \N. VODOZ MINING MACHINE Feb. 18, 1930.

Original Filed Dec. 8, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l "I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I f I 'I ihmwioz MM,

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MINING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 8, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 18, 1930. F. w. VODOZ MINING MACHINE Original FiledDec. 8, 1926' Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFREDERICK W. VODOI Z, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMANMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOISMINING MAOHIN E Original applicationfiled December 8, 1926, Serial No.153,253. Divided and this application filed October 21, 1927. Serial No.227,643.

This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to apropelling and feeding means for a mining machine of the mounted typehaving a projecting kerf cutting element adjustable in varying positionsrelative to the main frame for making va- Y rious cuts including top orbottom slabbing cuts or side shearing cuts, and has among otherobjects,to provide a quick interchangeable means for propelling said miningmachine on mine rails, or on the mine bottom at a plurality of speedsand feeding said ma chine into the material to be mined at a pluralityof frictional controlled speeds either from the mine rails or the minebottom.

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial Number153,253, filed December 8, 1926. p

The invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side view of the machine showing the cutter bar disposedat the opposite side and projecting forwardly from said machine,indicating in dotted lines certain other permissible positions of thecutter arm;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the machine shown in Figure l and alsoindicating in dottecl lines other permissible positions of the cutterarm; I

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan viewof the machine main body with parts ofthe gearing mechanism shown in cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Figure1;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine drawn to asomewhat smaller scale than Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of part of the gearing reductionmechanism taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional View of another portion of the gearingreduction mechanism taken on line 66 of Figure 4;

Figure '4' is a detail section of the propelling clutch mechanism takenon line 77 of Figure 4;;

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views of the interchangeable chaintread or track mechanism whereby the machine frame may be either mountedon the mine tracks or proa main frame 10 and a forwardly projectingcutting element 11. The machine is moved from place to place and in andout of cutting position by suitable traction means, herein comprising apair of continuous tread mechanisms indicated generally at 13, 13, whichare interchangeable with a set of track guided supporting wheels 14, 14.Means for operating and adjusting these interchangeable tractionsdevices will hereinafter be described in greater detail.

Referring now to the cutting element, the cutting element hereinillustrated includes a cutter bar 15 carrying an endless chain 18mounted in a groove 16 formed around the sides and end of the cutter barin the usual manner. The cutter bar is supported at its inner end on acutter head indicated generally at 17. This general arrangement isillustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in which it will be seen that the cutterbar and cutter head may be bodily rotated relative to the main frame 10on an axis extending longitudinally of the latter as indicated in dottedlines in these figures. The cutter arm 15 is also mounted on the cutterhead 17 for swinging movement in a plane parallel with the axis ofrotation of said head. The construction of the mounting of the cutterarm 15 and the means for moving said cutter arm about the longitudinalaxis of the machine frame and about an axis transverse to saidlongitudinal axis, and the means for driving the cutter chain 18 from anelectric motor 2-0 in all possible positions of the cutter arm will nothere be described, since this comprises no part of the inventiondisclosed in this application, and since the above named features havebeen fully described in my prior application, Serial Number 153,253,hereinbefore mentioned.

Means are provided whereby the machine may be driven at a fast speed inmoving about the mine or at frictionally controlled slower speeds infeeding the cutter chain 18 into the coal by the motor 20. It may benoted that the motor 20 is the same motor used for driving the cutterchain and for moving the cutting element about longitudinal andtransverse axes to its various positions. A motor pinion 21 drives agear 22 which rotates a shaft 23. The shaft 23 is connected directly toa bevel gear reversing mechanism, including a pair of oppositelydisposed beveled pinions 24, selectively connectible thereto through anintermediate sliding clutch mem ber 25. These two beveled pinions aremeshed at opposite sides of a beveled gear 26 which is connected with ahub or sleeve 27 which forms the main driving member of a planetary gearreduction device indicated generally at 29.

Such planetary gear devices are well known in the mining machine art andneed not be described in detail herein excepting to point out a lowspeed member 30, having clutch jaws 31 which may be selectively engagedby clutch aws 32 of a sliding clutch member 33 feathered on drive shaft34 to drive the latter at a relatively low speed through the usual gearreduction devices in the planetary 29. The shaft 34 is driven at ahigher speed by connecting the clutch jaws 32 directly to jaws 35carried at the lower end of the sleeve member 27. In this case the shaft34 is driven atthe same speed as sleeve 27 and beveled gear 26. With thereversing and planetary gear devices above described, it will be seenthat power connections are available at a plurality of speeds and inreversible directions for several operative functions; of the machine.

A pinion 40 is keyed on the lower end of shaft 34 and engages a pinion41 on a shaft 42 through an idler pinion 43. A worm 45 is keyed on theshaft 42 and is meshed with a work gear 46 on a shaft 47. A gear 48 iskeyed to shaft 47 and in turn is meshed with a gear 50 keyed on a shaft51. This shaft extends rearwardly of the machine frame as shown inFigure 3 and has a gear 57 mounted on its rear end which is meshed withan idler gear 58 which in turn is meshed with gear 59 loosely mounted onshaft 60. A sliding clutch member 61 is feathered on shaft and arrangedto afford a driving connection between the gear 59 and shaft 60 in theusual manner. A beveled pinion 65 is mounted on the rear end of shaft 60and is meshed with a beveled gear 66 on driving shaft 67 extendingtransversely of the rear'end of the machine, as is best shown in Figure4. A pair of sliding clutch members 68 are provided for affordingselective driving connection with sprocket wheels 70, 70, at theopposite ends of the shaft, these sprocket wheels forming a drivingconnection with the endless chain propelling devices 13, 13, as willhereinafter more fully appear.

It will be understood that power connections above described arereversible and at relatively low speeds. A still further powerconnection is aflorded for propelling the machine at a higher rate ofspeed. These connections include gears 75, 76 and 77, affording a directdriving connection between the gear 22, meshed with armature pinion 21,and the driving shaft 60 through sliding clutch member 61, as clearlyshown in Figure 4.

Referring now to the propelling mechanism including the continuous treaddevices 13, 13, and the track wheel supports which are interchangeabletherewith, details of this mechanism are shown in Figures 7 to 11, bothinclusive. The devices at opposite sides of the machine are similar sodescription of one set will sufiice for an understanding of both. Asshown in Figures 7 to 11, the continuous tread devices each include thedriving sprocket and an endless chain tread device passing forwardlytherefrom about a pair of longitudinally spaced idler sprockets 80 and81. These sprockets are mounted on axles 82 and 83 respectively, inposition to provide sufficient clearance for the entire machine when itis being supported on the treads of the continuous chain.

Each of the track wheels 14, 14 are mounted on a disc 89 which hasbearing in said wheel eccentric of the periphery thereof. Each of saiddiscs in turn have an eccentric bearing 90 on its respective axle. Thearrangement is such that the bearing 90 or discs 89 may be rotated aboutthe axle into one position as shown in Figure 9 in which the wheels areraised out of supporting engagement with the ground, that is to say,above the normal level of the treads, of an endless chain. As a meansofrotating the discs 89, 89, I provide a plurality of apertures 91, 91,about the outer periphery of said disc in position to be engaged by anysuitable wrench or bar. When the discs are rotated to raised position,as shown in Figure 9, any means maybe pro- Vided for locking them inplace, as for instance a pivoted lug 92 may be mounted on the side ofthe main frame 10 in position tobe inserted in one of the apertures 91to hold the same in locked position as'shown in Figure 9. Locking meansare provided for securing the wheel and eccentric disc together and holdthe wheel in disengagement with the ground, said means herein comprisinga plunger 93 carried by one wheel and adaptable to engage a suitablerecess 98 formed in a lug 99 projecting outwardly from the eccentricdisc 89.

When it is desired to use the track wheels as a supporting and drivingmeans, the discs are rotated to their lowermost position, as shown inFigures 8, 10 and 11, in which position the axis of the axle extendingthrough the eccentric disc coincides with the true axis of the Wheel.Locking means are provided for securing the wheel and eccentric disc inthis relationship, said means herein comprising the plunger 93 carriedby one wheel and adapted to engage in a suitable recess 94L formed in alug 95 projecting outwardly from the eccentric bearing 90 as clearlyshown in Figure 10. Means are also provided for affording a. drivingconnection between the continuous tread sprockets 80, 81, and theforward wheels when the latter are in supporting engagement with thetrack as shown in Figures 8, 1O andll. As herein shown this connectionconsists of a pin 96 carried by one of the coacting members, as forinstance, the wheel 14, and extending therethrough so as to bedetachably connected in a suitable aperture 97 formed in the adjacentsprocket 81. By means of the above arrangement the continuous treadmechanism provides a driving connection for the wheels when the latterare in use and provides also directly the tractive efiort when thewheels are raised and out of use, and the entire mechanism is supportedon the treads themselves.

The use and operation of the machine above described will now be clearto one familiar with the art. The machine may be used for making anordinary shearing cut at either side of the machine. The machine mayalso be used in overcutting or undercutting, or in making a slabbingcut; these various cuts being produced either by maintaining the machineframe stationary and swinging the cutter bar upon its axis, or bypositioning the cutter bar in a fixed position and feeding said bar byadvancing the machine along the track or by a combination of each ofthese methods. The various feeding operations above discussed are wellknown in the art, and may be accomplished while the machine is either onthe mine rails or off therails on the mine bottom by the quick andsimple operation necessary to change the driving means from track wheelsto a traction tread and vice-versa as hereinbefore described.

Although I have shown and described one form in which my invention maybe embodied, 1t Wlll be understood that the construction thereof andarrangement of the various parts may be altered or changed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wishto be construed as limiting myself to the specific embodimentillustrated in the drawings, excepting as it may be limited by theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mining machine, a machine frame, a plurality of track wheelsmounted on axles projecting outwardly from said machine frame, a pair ofcontinuous tread devices adapted to afford supporting engagement forsaid mining machine on the outer side of said track wheels and removedfrom said machine frame, each of said Wheels having a rotatable discmember eccentric of the periphery thereof and each of said discs havingan eccentric bearing support on said axle whereby said Wheel and bearingmay be rotated relative to the axle and each other into one positionwherein the axle bearing is substantially concentric with the wheel andinto another position wherein said axle bearing is eccentric of thewheel and the wheel is raised out of supporting engagement with theground.

2. In a mining machine, a machine frame, a plurality of track wheelsmounted on axles projecting outwardly from said machine frame, a pair ofcontinuous tread devices adapted to afford supporting engagement forsaid mining machine on the outer side of said track wheels and removedfrom said machine frame, each of said wheels having a rotatable discmember eccentric of the periphery thereof and each of said discs havingan eccentric bearing support on said axle whereby said wheel and hearingmay be rotated relative to the axle and each other into one positionwherein the axle bearing is substantially concentric with the wheel andinto another posi tion wherein said axle bearing is eccentric of thewheel and the wheel is raised out of supporting engagement with theground, and means for detachably securing said wheel and disc togetherin either of two positions above mentioned.

3. In a mining machine, a machine frame, a plurality of track wheelsmounted on axles projecting outwardly from said machine frame, a pair ofcontinuous tread devices adapted to afford supporting engagement forsaid mining machine on the outer side of said track wheels and removedfrom said machine frame, each of said wheels having a rotatable discmember eccentric of the periphery thereof and each of said discs havingan eccentric bearing support on said axle whereby said wheel and hearingmay be rotated relative to the axle and each other into one positionwherein the axle bearing is substantially concentric with the wheel andinto another position wherein said axle bearing is eccentric of thewheel and the wheel is raised out of supporting engagement with theground, and means for operatively connecting said wheel with said treaddevices.

4. In a mining machine, a machine frame, a plurality of track wheelsmounted on axles projecting outwardly from said machine frame, a pair ofcontinuous tread .devices adapted to afford supporting engagement forsaid mining machine on the outer side of said track wheels and removedfrom said machine frame, each of said wheels having a rotatable discmember eccentric of the periphery thereof and each of said discs havingan eccentric bearing support on said axle whereby said Wheel and bearingmay be rotated relative to the axle and each other into one positionwherein the axle bearing is substantially concentric with the wheel andinto another position wherein said axle bearing is eccentric of thewheel and the wheel is raised out of supporting engagement with theground, means for detachably securing said wheel and disc together ineither of the two positions above mentioned, and means on the frame forholdlng said wheel and disc in the raised position.

Si ned at Chicago, in the county of Cook and gtate of Illinois, this12th day of Septemher, A. D. 1927.

FREDERICK W. VODOZ.

